This chapter really doesn't consist of that much conversation. It basically explains the first six months of Jonathan and Eva's relationship, how they grew to feel about each other and how they changed each other in different ways. Explaining six months worth of feelings growing is a long chapter to write, so I took the easy route and summarized the situation(s). Jonathan doesn't become Doctor Crane until the next few chapters or so and Bruce is, obviously, gone. Rachel will be coming up soon but basically, for now, my focus is Jonathan and Eva, or sometimes she will be called Evangeline.

It's her real name.

Thank You!

Chapter Three: We're Home

When Jonathan arrived home that day, he took a glance at the blue flower, which he had locked away in his safe. After a few moments, he put it back in the glass container and shoved it back into the safe, keeping it away from prying eyes. As if there was anyone that would want to look. Jonathan waited anxiously for Eva to call him, like she had promised.

And eventually, she did call. At seven at night, the time when people would just be ending dinner. The same thing happened each night for six months. During those months, Eva and Jonathan became dear friends, best friends you could almost say. After a month of knowing each other, the two began dating, when after taking Eva out to Noodles, Jonathan had kissed her for the first time. Eva had remarked that it "sealed the deal" and kissed him back.

There was no turning back for them.

Soon after that, the two medical students began to make their separate worlds revolve around each other. Like lovestruck high school kids, Jonathan and Eva discovered the "marvelous world of text messaging," as Eva jokingly called it. The two texted each other back and forth during the classes they did not have together, which was all except for first hour Psychology. There, Eva and Jonathan would mouth whole conversations back and forth, making jokes and laughing at which ever one of them could not understand what the other was saying. Truly, neither of them felt more above the world ever before. As the two became closer and began to confide in each other things they'd never told anyone before, it became that they saw each other everyday after school. Almost. On some days, Eva would trail Jonathan home in her car from Gotham Med or vice versa. But usually, Eva would go to Jonathan's house, stating that it was "just plain better and not in the Narrows." As Eva was Jonathan's first true, steady girlfriend, he did whatever he could to keep her emotionally satisfied. But whenever the subject really didn't matter, the two would go to Eva's apartment in the somewhat better part of the Narrows. It was small, but roomy, plus Eva's two cats stayed there and she didn't want them to be lonelier than they probably already were.

Quite openly and willingly, Eva let Jonathan into her world, where a single movie made her cry and dreams came not just during sleep. One of the things Jonathan had grown to enjoy was watching movies with Eva. Before meeting her, Jonathan wasn't the most outgoing person in the world. He hardly watched TV or listened to music, unless it was the news. Instead, he would envelop himself in hi s advanced studies since he had moved out of his parent's house in eastern Gotham. He found that Eva had the brilliant ability to make him smile, laugh and have a grand time. Jonathan discovered that sitting down, watching movies and snacking on popcorn with someone you cared deeply about was quite invigorating. Or simply laying down, just holding Eva; it was almost heavenly. Usually, at around eleven at night, either one of the partner's would leave their other half's house. Eventually, whoever was staying over until eleven ended up staying over night. It was usually Eva and after a month of constantly staying over at Jonathan's, she moved her cats into Jonathan's house, with his permission, of course. There was only one obstacle to overcome, however: Jonathan's dog and Eva's cats getting along. Seeing as Frodo was the same size as Eva's cats, Oreo and Angel, perhaps smaller, it didn't take long for the three animals to get along. Four months later however, things were about to change. One evening, Jonathan and Eva were talking about nothingness on the phone. It was one of the few, rare occasions that Eva was not at Jonathan's house. She was cooking herself a vegetable stir fry since she had just arrived home from the pet store. Jonathan laughed as Eva began to tell him she had purchased his Miniature Dachshund, Frodo, a number of toys and treats galore.

"You didn't have to Eva, I know how to shop for my own pet perfectly fine," he argued. He heard Eva sigh through the phone.

"I'm not doubting your shopping skills, darling. I only adore Frodo, almost as much as I adore you."

Jonathan smiled against the silver cell phone. "Well, I adore you more, Eva. And while we're on that topic, I've got to ask you something," he added with a serious tone. He still heard Eva's wondrous stir fry sizzling into the phone. She would be pretty shocked, damn shocked. Her reply was a smacking of lips sounds, for which Jonathan assumed she was tasting her food.

She responded a moment later, "Which is?"

On the other line, Jonathan ran a slender hand through his dark brown hair, making it messy. "It's been almost five months since we've began dating, Eva and I already know that I love you," Jonathan took a deep breath after his confession. He hadn't expected himself to reveal the truth so soon, but it was a truth that was burning his soul. He waited for a response on the other end of the line. What he heard was nothing. Nothing except the sizzling of vegetables in a frying pan and silence.

'This is it,' Jonathan thought sadly to himself, 'I've scared her away. I've lost someone great; someone that changed my life around for the better.'

Jonathan heard her breath, shaky and slow. 'She's most likely thinking it through,' his string of thoughts continued, 'Eva tends to think a lot and very deep about things.'

Finally, Eva spoke, "Do you mean it, Jonathan? Truly and completely?" her voice was uncertain and scared, but urging.

Jonathan was taken aback.

"Of course I mean it truly, Eva. I'm not looking to hurt you, cause you pain and leave your love and trust shattered," Jonathan paused, "I'm here to love and care for you. Will you do the same, Eva?" Jonathan heard his girlfriend breathe into the phone.

"Yes. Yes, I will, Jonathan."

He felt his heart soar and he felt something a little odd on his face. He was grinning from ear to ear, as a Cheshire cat would. "You-you will?" Now Jonathan was the shaky one.

'What other surprises lie ahead if this is happening?'

He heard Eva's lively laughter flow into his eardrums.

"Of course, Jonathan," she paused briefly, "I've loved you since the first month we met. But how could I tell you when we weren't even dating? I didn't want to make you run away and lose everything that made renewed life and made it brilliant. You know, if it was anyone else who spilled coffee on my blouse on the first day of school, I would've probably slapped them in the face."

Jonathan pursed his thin lips together. She had loved him for that long? He had been keeping his emotions in for only one month. He pondered what it would have been like to hold that deep of an emotion in. Instead of asking Eva any questions doubting her feelings, he inquired, "Why didn't you slap me, then?"

Another pause. "I just knew you were something good."

That sealed it for Jonathan's mind. It was love. So, when he asked Eva to move in with him, it came flying out of his mouth on an impulse. He had expected her to not answer back and ask "When?"

Jonathan, a tad flabbergasted, replied, "Well, as soon as you pack up your worldly possessions and put your apartment for sale, come and live with me." In his mid-twenties, Jonathan felt he was finally living the teenage life he could never live.

He heard Eva click her tongue on her hard palate," Well, I can't turn down living with an irresistible man such as yourself, so I suppose I have no choice but to accept your offer.

Jonathan almost dropped his phone, not realizing how sweaty his hands had become.

"You mean you'll seriously pack up your stuff, sell your place, haul it all here and just simply live out with me?" Jonathan asked, still in a state of shock.

Eva chuckled and exclaimed, "Yes Jonathan, stop doubting me!"

Jonathan chuckled nervously, "Well, it's so odd, you know? Everything is coming together so quick," he explained.

Eva agreed, "Coming together for the better, though."

"Yeah, I think so, too," he paused to relish the fact that he and his girlfriend had just taken a huge step in their relationship. He then asked, "You want to come when you're done eating, maybe crash with me? After all, it is a Friday," Jonathan added with a hint of mischief in his voice. He thought it would've been lovely to take Eva out for dinner, but remembered at the moment, she was making her own dinner. He thought dessert and asked, "You want to bring the stir fry and we can eat together, then?"

He heard Eva's laugh ring out, "Wow, anxious are we darling?"

Jonathan shrugged, "I only want to see you, Eva."

"Good enough answer for me. And yes, I'll stay the night and bring my dinner. Let me freshen up and I'll see you in fifteen minutes, okay? I love you, Jonathan." The final four words came without regret. It was like music to Jonathan's ears.

As if on habit, he said it back, "I love you too, Eva." He could picture her smiling as she said her final, "Bye, darling," and the two cell phones clicked off. The future doctor was in awe of what had been transpired.

It was nearly heaven.

--

For dinner with Eva that night, Jonathan pulled out his parent's old chinaware. He wished he could have introduced Eva to his parents or vise versa.

'But..' Jonathan began to think back to four years ago, when he was a freshman of Gotham University. Suddenly, he had a flashback of a woman drowning in a body of water, screaming for help. Help that, to Jonathan's unwavering anger, never came. The flashback became violent as his mother began to sink into the murky depths. Jonathan dropped the plate he was holding and it shattered across the wooden floor. He began to back up until he could go on no further. In fear, Jonathan rolled himself into the fetal position; his mother's dying pleas fading into the sea of his mind. That was how Eva found her boyfriend ten minutes later. Frodo was lovingly laying in a ball at the base of Jonathan's feet, while Oreo sat at the peak of the refrigerator, watching. Angel was passed out on the couch. As Eva approached, Frodo began to whine. She went down on her knees, not only to pet the miniature Dachshund, but to talk to Jonathan also. He wordlessly stretched his legs out and looked at Eva. She was worried.

"What happened?" Eva whispered as Frodo walked out of her embrace to go to her owners. Jonathan let his dog on his lap and refused to look at Eva as he spoke.

"It was my mother." He knew Eva knew nothing of his parents, except that his father had been killed when he was ten. The Cranes had sued the city of Gotham and gotten the largest sum possible. He had never discussed his mother until now. "She drowned when I was a freshman in college. My life was broken until I met you."

Eva's only response was a smile. Another think Jonathan loved about Eva was that she knew when to not ask too many questions. He could, however, see the sadness and sympathy in her bright green eyes. She gently outstretched her hands, motioning him to hold them. Sadly smiling, Jonathan took Eva's hands and kissed the knuckles lightly. Their arms swung in unison. Eva glanced around the kitchen and noticed the broken chinaware on the floor. She motioned her head towards the mess and suggested quietly, "Come on, darling. Let's clean up and eat dinner. I'm famished."

Jonathan nodded, "Sounds brilliant." The couple arose; Eva went to sweep up the broken china and Jonathan prepared the rest of the meal. Not more than ten minutes later, Eva prepped to wash dishes, while Jonathan sat, getting ready to towel dry. It was a simple system that Eva had brought into Jonathan's life and he was beginning to enjoy and conform to it more and more. After cleaning up, Eva and Jonathan popped in a movie: the Shawskank Redemption. Eva rested her head on Jonathan's lap as he ran his fingers through her thick hair. As the credits rolled, Jonathan stretched his neck to see if his girlfriend was asleep. Indeed, she was out and probably had been for awhile. He smiled lovingly and carefully motioned Frodo to move off the couch. Jonathan cautiously slid his hand under Eva's necklace bearing neck and the other beneath her knees. Gathering strength, Jonathan stood up with Eva in his arms. He slowly carried her into his room and tucked her into the thick, dark blue comforter. Jonathan noted her deep sleep and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. He left her to rest alone for the rest of the night while he gathered a pillow and blanket so he could fall asleep on his living room couch.